Self-exiled comedian host Ellen DeGeneres has admitted her reputation as a mean girl is “hurtful.” Now based in the UK after Donald Trump’s presidential win, the 67-year-old took part in an ‘In Conversation With’ event in Cheltenham on Sunday. Following an investigation into toxic workplace behavior, DeGeneres’ eponymous talk show ended in 2022. During a farewell stand up tour two years later, she noted, “Yeah, the ‘Be kind’ girl wasn’t kind, that was the headline.” Talking on Sunday, she said, “Any article that came up, it was like, ‘She’s mean’. And it’s like, how do I deal with this without sounding like a victim or ‘Poor me’ or complaining?” The talk show host added, “It’s as simple as, I’m a direct person, and I’m very blunt, and I guess sometimes that means that... I’m mean?” The comedian also claimed it was “crazy” that calling a woman mean “is the worst” thing you could say about them. DeGeneres added: “I don’t think I can say anything that’s ever going to get rid of that [reputation] or dispel it, which is hurtful to me. I hate it. I hate that people think that I’m that because I know who I am and I know that I’m an empathetic, compassionate person.”
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